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WoodhouscwnfA introduction jbyTtear Admiral Robert E.P<?ary 




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_^f^> c. S. HAMMOND & COMPANY 

Engravers Printers Publishers 30 Church St. (Hudson Terminal) New York. City 



THE WAR IN THE AIR 



Member, Bo 



By HENRY WOODHOUSE 

Club of America. Member. National A. rial Coast Patrol Commission, Author, "Text Book of Naval Aeronauti 
"Text Book of Military Aeronautics," Managing Kdilor of "Flying." 



Great Britain, France and Germany have each over 10.000 aeroplanes — and are making efforts to get more and more. Great Britain spent about 
§350,000,000 in aeronautics in the second year of the war and $550,000,000 in the third year of the war. There are 958 manufacturing concerns supplying 
aircraft and parts in Great Britain alone. Aeroplanes are increasing in speed, size and general efficiency, and are being used for innumerable purposes, 
some of which are as yet entirely unknown to the layman. The following report tells of some of the many uses of aircraft not generally known : 

"The aim was to intercept German military trains on the Douai-Lille main line. The railway station at Libercourt, sidings, and rolling stock were to be bombed, and an attempt made to attack 
trains going south, in the hope that they might he carrying troops or ammunition towards the Somino battlefield. Patrols, each of three aeroplanes, were first sent to attack neighboring enemy aerodromes to 
prevent German aeroplanes from going up to interfere; smoke bombs were dropped at intervals to keep the aerodromes enveloped in smoke, and from time to time a high explosive bomb to show our machines 

" » descend and attack the trains. The first train to appear was seeti leaving Libercourt at about 1:40 p. m. and our machinery dived down to 



ill the 



ioii two oft 






ttack it. While descending, 
height of about 800 feet nei 
/ere fired on, and ran toward Ostrico 



bombs i 



ung up on a branch line toward Ostrieourt, where it joins the main line, and one of our machines diverted on to it. The first train was attacked from 
; dropped. The engine was hit, became derailed, and two or three of the first coaches partly telescoped. German soldiers immediately began to alight. 
Is. There were so many men that the pilots said it would have been hard to miss them, and a large number were either killed or wounded. Mean- 
while, the second train came to a standstill near the junction, as the wrecked train on the main line was blocking its way. The other machine attacked it with six bombs, two ofwhieli hit the train and one the 
engine. Troops also here began to descend, and were fired on. They fled toward the neighboring village. Altogether between 0(11) and 7*1(1 round- were lired bv the two aeroplanes, and many German soldiers 
were hit. Neither of our machines were fired on. As soon as the attack on the train began the main raiding party, composed of seven aeroplanes, and an escort, attacked Livereourt Station at about 2 p. m., 
where fourteen heavy and thirty-four smaller bomlis were dropped. Station building-, sidings and rolling stock were hit, some carriages were wrecked, and one coach was afterwards observed to be lying 



They dropped ten tons of bombs 



crossways over the line. The patrol over Brovin Aerodrome destroyed a hangar in the course of its work." 

One hundred and thirty aeroplanes and seaplanes were gready responsible for the Italian victory on the Car 
on the enemy. 

The employment of aircraft for naval purposes is likewise most extensive. Aircraft are employed : 

(a) To locate and assist destroyers, trawlers and submarine chasers in capturing or destroying hostile submarines (both 

seaplanes and dirigibles are needed). 

(b) To locate submerged mines and assist trawlers in destroying mines. (Seaplanes, dirigibles and observation balloons 

used). 

(c) Searching the coasts for submarine bases. (Seaplanes and dirigibles used). 

(d) To convoy troop and merchant ships on coastwise trips. (Dirigibles best adapted for this work). 

(e) To patrol the coasts, holding up and inspecting doubtful ships and convoying them to examining stations. (Dirigibles 

best adapted for this work). 
(/) Attacking hostile ships and submarines that may show up near the coasts, with torpedoes, bombs and guns. (Large 

torpedoplanes and large seaplanes mounting guns best adapted). 
(g) Protecting ships at sea and in ports against attack from hostile submarines and battleships. (Seaplanes and dirigibles 

used). 
(h) Communicating to incoming ships information regarding the location of mines, submarines and the course to follow 

to avoid disasters and confusion. (Seaplanes and dirigibles used). 
(/') Serving as the "eyes" of mine planters, minimizing the time required for mine planting. (Dirigibles and observation 

balloons best adapted for this work). 
(J) Defending and protecting naval bases and stations from naval and aerial attacks. (Armed air cruisers and combat 
planes used). 
Besides the above, the Naval Air Service in other countries has been used for many other purposes, but the above gives a good idea of the 
value of aircraft for war purposes. 

The United States gave the world the first practical aeroplane and the first successful seaplane. For the past few years we have been last in 
military and naval aeronautics. We are now starting to build up our air fleets. Let us not stop until we have, with our allies, attained supremacy of 
the air! 



New York, June, 1917. 



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AIRCRAFT of ALL NATIONS^ 



A NEW SERIES OF PHOTOGRAPHS 

Selected and described by 

HENRY WOODHOUSE 

>! 

Member, Board of Governors, Aero Club of America. Member, National Aerial Coast Patrol Commission. Author. " Text book of Naval Aeronautics. 1 

" Text book of Military Aeronautic s." Managing Editor of " Flying." 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
REAR ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY 

Chairman, National Aerial Coast Patrol Commission. Member, Board of Governors, Aero Club of America, Etc. 



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C. S. HAMMOND & COMPANY 

Engravers — Printers — Publishers 
30 CHURCH STREET (Hudson terminal) NEW YORK 

Copyright 1917 



INTRODUCTION T L 6 SO 

COMMAND OF THE AIR ALL IMPORTANT 

By REAR ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY 

Chairman, National Aerial Coast Patrol Commission, Member, Board of Governors, Aero Club or America, etc. 

The broadest material lesson for the United States in the present European "War is this : 

Command of the sea and command of the land are worthless — are, in fact, impossible without command of the air ! 

To put it in a somewhat different form, our military forces, both navy and army, will be useless without a superior force and commanding air service. 

No attack can be driven home to-day on any European battlefront without the assistance of the air service. 

The Jutland sea fight was dominated by the eyes ef a dirigible. 

Leaders in the European struggle, men on whose shoulders rests the responsibility for the very existence of their respective nations, are saying 
publicly and officially, in thoroughly considered words : 

jri rst- — That the time is near when the air service of a country will be more vital to its safety than its army and navy combined. 

Second. — That the decision in the present war may come in the air. 

Third. — That every country will be obliged to have a separate, independent air service by that sheer necessity which knows no law, regards no pre- 
cedent, fears no government. 

To give the United States proper air power — real air preparedness — we need a full and immediate appreciation, on the part of the public, the press 
and the Government, of the vitalness, the magnitude and the immediateness of this question of air power for the United States. 

Then we want : 

First. — A separate Department of Aeronautics, independent of the army and navy, with a seat in the President's Cabinet. 

Second. — An aviator class similar to our present chauffeur class; thousands of young men throughout the country able to handle an aeroplane as a 
chauffeur handles his car — aero-chauffeurs. 

Third. — A comprehensive aero coast-defense system along the general lines the National Aerial Coast Patrol Commission has indicated and is urg- 
ing. This system should comprise a continuous cordon of sentinel planes a hundred miles or more off the coast, and large aero squadron stations near all 
the principal coastal cities, to protect the cities from air raids, and for offense against a hostile fleet. 

Fourth. — Extension of our aeronautic manufacturing facilities until we can produce aircraft by the thousands. 

These things should be done immediately. Victory in the present war; the efficiency^ oi our arm^9mT navy ; the protection of our coasts and coastal 
cities ; the safety of the Panama Canal ; the existence of the nation — all are involved. 



JUN 15 1917 






A Curtiss military biplane of the "JN-4" type in flight. This machine is equipped with a motor of 100 h. p., and carries a pilot and observer 




A squadron of American military aeroplanes at one of the Army aviation stations. The machines shown are of the "Standard," "Curtiss"and "L.W.F." types. 




Looking for the Enemy at 10,000 Feet. This French air fighter, looking for the enemy at 10,000 feet, was snapped by the 

camera of another allied airman. This remarkable photograph shows this air fighter was caught by surprise, and 

turned around ready to turn the gun on the machine above him — which proved to be a friendly plane. 




A Goodyear military kite balloon of the type used for observation purposes by leading armies and navies. It is 80 feet long and has hydrogen capacity of 
25,000 cubic feet, which enables it to lift two observers to a height of 7,000 feet. 




The twin-motored "Curtiss" seaplane about to start for a flight. This machine, which is especially suited for launching- torpedoes and hunting submarines 

is equipped with two motors of 100 h. p. 





The "Aeromarine" type seaplane built for the U. S. Navy. It is equipped 

with a 130 h. p. Hall-Scott motor, and is particularly suited 

for hunting submarines and launching torpedoes. 



A flying boat equipped with the Sperry automatic pilot, which makes 
possible for the aviator to let go of the controls and for the passenger 
to climb out on the wing without upsetting the machine. 
Note the passenger standing on right wing. 




The Gallaudet seaplane built for the U. S. Navy equipped with two motors of 150 h. p. each. 



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A Lewis gun used against aircraft by a Canadian anti-aircraft 
gun unit. 




A 75 millimeter anti-aircraft gun and one of the gunners who 
shot down a Zeppelin in France. 




A huge three motored "Curtiss" used in number by Great Britain for submarine hunting. This shows the tremendous progress made in the construction of 

aeroplanes in America. A still larger air cruiser has been built which has already carried eight people, 600 gallons of gasoline 

and instruments and equipments at a speed of 78 miles an hour. 




The torpedoplane, which is expected to revolutionize naval warfare. The torpedoplane was patented in 1912 by Admiral Fiske, but the work of developing 

it was only recently undertaken by the Aero Club of America. A small torpedo weighting less than 200 pounds launched from a 

seaplane can sink an unarmored ship. A larger torpedo will also sink an armored ship. 




A large naval Zeppelin over 500 feet in length, and capable of lifting 15 tons of useful weight, including bombs and machine guns. 




A military Zeppelin close to 500 feet long, which landed in France during its trials. The photograph shows French cavalry guarding it. 





Partial view of a huge Italian battleplane equipped wtth three 
motors of 150 h. p. each used extensively for bomb dropping. 



The naval airship "DN-1" traveling close to the surface of the water during one of its 
scouting trips. 







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'Wright-Martin" Military biplane equipped with Hall-Scott motor. 



The 150 h. p. "Wright-Martin" biplane. 




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The 130 h. p. "Thomas" military biplane starting for a flight. 



A "Standard" military biplane equipped with 135 h. p. motor. 




One of the huge "Curtiss" seaplanes, Model H-10, shown in the factory ready for shipment. 




A huge "Handly-Page" battleplane. 



The span of the wings is 98 feet, the length 65 feet. It is equipped with two Rolls-Royce motors of 280 h. p., and 
has mountings for three guns. It holds the record for carrying 21 passengers. 



The sixteen passenger "Sykorsky" Russian battleplane, which is used in the great war to carry large loads of explosives. 




A fleet of "Blimps," the small airships used in large number by all the Allies for hunting submarines and coast patrol work. They are about 180 feet long. 





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Three French ditlgibles of the "Zodiac" type starting for cruises. 




Prince Frederick Karl of Prussia starting for a flight in a very fast German fighting biplane 




The Canadian battleplane equipped with two motors of 160 h. p. built in Canada, which attained a speed of 105 miles an hour with full load. 



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An American flying boat on landing after a moonlight flight at Lake Como, Italy. 




A kite balloon of the type being used for spotting artillery fire by all the belligerent countries. These observation balloons are used by 
the thousands to observe the effect of artillery fire along the different war fronts. 




Rushing the Canadian anti-aircraft gun unit at the front to fire at German aeroplanes. 




The Instrument Board of an Aeroplane 
I, Watch. 2, Altimeter. 3, Compass. 4, Pressure Gauges for two Gasoline Tanks. 5, Dial registering engine revolutions. 6, In- 
clinometer registering level fore and aft. 7, Oil Pulsator. 8, Control stick with Thumb Switch. 9, Switches, 
two magnetos. 10, Air Speed Indicator. 11, Gasoline Supply Pipe. 




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This remarkable photograph was taken by a French aviator, flying 

trTnch in the foreground had formed the German front line, and has just been crossed by the French troops, w 
seen advancing beyond it in a wave of assault through another trench further back. The big cloud of 
smoke in center was due to the explosion of a depot of bombs or rockets. 



height of about 1,600 feet above the battlefield. The 

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This Album 

is a part of a series of three illustrated books on 

MODERN WARFARE 

T/he other albums are 

THE UNITED ^TATES NAVY - - 32 Pages 
MODERN LAND WARFARE - - 32 Pages 

These books are uniform in size and price with this book. 



